Chapter 2

I'm not safe. I'm standing here holding my sobbing sister but the only thought that's going through my head is I'm not safe. I can't try to convince her to volunteer she has to worry about her baby. So I'm going to have to stick it out. I shouldn't even be worrying. My chances of being picked are so low its incredible. I've never had to take tessera, so my name only in there five times because I'm only fifteen, and so many people have to take tessera in district five that one of them is bound to be picked. But I can't shake that pre-reaping fear. I hear dad walking to the front door and I shake Rosa.

"You need to get to your room and get ready for the reaping, I'll meet you there in a bit. But whatever you do don't tell dad." She nods her head and turns to run up the stairs right as dad enter the house.

"Hey Dad!" I say cheerfully.

He gives me a skeptical look and raises one eye brow then asks me "Why aren't you getting ready?"

"OH! You're right! I need to get ready!" I turn on my heel and run up to my room as fast as I can. I'm ready to kick myself in the face at how stupid I acted right there but there was nothing I could do about it. I get to the top of the stairs and head towards my sisters room. I find her standing in front of a mirror looking at her self. She's wearing a pink knee length dress and her blonde hair is falling in waves down her back. She looks so pretty but her blue eyes are filled with tears. I lean against the door way and she turns to face me.

"You took all the tessera, so your really likely to be pick, your names been entered twenty one times." She starts sobbing at this but I keep speaking "but don't worry. If your name is called, I'll volunteer. Not for you, but for your baby. I have a decent chance of winning these games so you don't have to worry."

Her expression is shocked at what I've just said. We've never really gotten along well but I couldn't let her do this, and I couldn't let that baby get hurt. So I turn and walk out before she can say anything. I get to my room and close the door collapsing on the bed.

What did I just do? This was an awful idea my chances just got so high I can't believe it. Twenty six times. I take a deep breath and root through my closet for something to wear to the reaping. I decide on a sliver dress with tiny flowers sew along the hem. I brush my hair out so that it falls straight down my back. I slip into a pair of silver flats then go back down stairs. My dads waiting at the door for us, so we can all go to the reaping. When Rosa finally gets down stairs she hardly says a word and just starts walking. I take my dads hand and give it a squeeze. He think the Rosas going to volunteer, and he for sure going to lose a daughter. I hope that nether of us gets picked but I know that there's no telling. We get to the reaping after a long walk in silence. I'm ushered in the the rest of the fifteen year olds but I don't talk to any of the other girls. All of them think I'm weird and happy to just stay away from them. I see my sister saunter up to the rest of the eighteen year olds and get immersed in a group of her friends. By the sounds of their sequels something tells me she told them she's not volunteering. I roll my eyes and watch the escort walk up onto the stage. His name is 'King' no last name but I'm sure he's made it up because his hair has been dyed gold and spiked up in a crown pattern. Were his eye brows should be are little red jems, and all I can think during his speech is that he looks like a freak. What in the world compels these people to dress so weird! I'm pulled out of my trance when I hear him say in his high pitched voice "Gentlemen first!" I stand and wait for him to call someones name, know that no one that I care for is in trouble at the moment, he reaches his hand in the bowl and calls

"Charlie Markels!" A boy from the seventeen year olds walks out and squares his shoulders. As he walks to the stage I can't tell how he feels about this but his face is set with no expression.

I watch as 'King' walks to the girls bowl and says "Ladys!". He plunges his hand in the bowl and I silently pray that its not me or Rosa. He pulls out the slip of paper and unfolds it walking to the mic he says a name

"Celia Torrence!"

I realize he said my name and I'm pushed towards the stage, swallowing my fear I walk up to the stage and stand on Kings left side. He says some words that I can't hear over the pounding in my ears then I look over at Charlie and see he has his hand extended towards me. I shake his hand and we are escorted into the justice building, and I start to prepare myself to say good bye to my family.

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